Pretty Cure

Pretty Cure Series
The twentieth anniversary logo for the Pretty Cure franchise
Created byIzumi Todo, Toei Animation
Original workPretty Cure
OwnerToei Animation
Years2004–present
Films and television
Television seriesSee below
Theatrical presentations
PlayPrecure Kids
MusicalSee below
Games
Video gameSee below
Miscellaneous
ToysS.H. Figuarts, dolls, bracelets
Official website
anime-precure.com

The Pretty Cure Series (プリキュアシリーズ, Purikyua Shirīzu; also titled Precure Series or PreCure Series) is a Japanese tokusatsu heroine, magical girl anime franchise created by Izumi Todo and produced by Toei Animation. Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle against evil forces. Starting in February 2004 with Pretty Cure, the franchise has seen many anime series, spanning over 1000 episodes to date, as well as spawning movies, manga, toys, and video games. Its most recent iteration, Star Detective Precure!, began airing in February 2026 as part of TV Asahi's Sunday morning children's television block. As of December 2022, three series have received English adaptations, although many others have received English subtitle versions.

Overview

Each series focuses on a group of teenage girls who are granted special items that allow them to transform into legendary warriors known as the Pretty Cure. With the assistance of creatures known as fairies, the Pretty Cure use their magical powers and enhanced strength to fight against evil forces who create monsters to bring misery to the Earth. As the series progresses and stronger enemies appear, the Cures gain new magical items, new abilities, and sometimes new allies to help them in their fight against evil.

Production

There are currently twenty-three anime television series in the franchise, two of which are direct sequels to their previous series. To date, three of the series have received English adaptations. Pretty Cure was dubbed into English by Ocean Productions and aired in Canada under the name Pretty Cure. Smile PreCure! and DokiDoki! PreCure were adapted by Saban Brands and released on Netflix under the names Glitter Force and Glitter Force Doki Doki, respectively. The series, Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode, Healin' Good Pretty Cure and Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure, began streaming in Crunchyroll on their respective territories. Each series has received a manga adaptation illustrated by Futago Kamikita, which is published in Kodansha's Nakayoshi shoujo magazine alongside the anime. Starting with Fresh PreCure!, each ending movie featured a dance choreography by each series' Pretty Cure members.

As of 2020, Toei Animation Inc. and Toei Animation Europe owns the international rights to the franchise while both the dubs of Smile and DokiDoki alongside the Glitter Force brand is currently owned by Hasbro.

Main series

No. Title Generation Run No. of
Episodes		 Series director Ref(s)
1 Pretty Cure 1st 2004–2005 49 Daisuke Nishio
2 Pretty Cure Max Heart 2005–2006 47
3 PreCure Splash Star 2nd 2006–2007 49 Toshiaki Komura
4 Yes! PreCure 5 3rd 2007–2008 49
5 Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo! 2008–2009 48
6 Fresh PreCure! 4th 2009–2010 50 Junji Shimizu, Akifumi Zako
7 Heart Catch PreCure 5th 2010–2011 49 Tatsuya Nagamine
8 Suite PreCure 6th 2011–2012 48 Munehisa Sakai
9 Smile PreCure! 7th 2012–2013 48 Takashi Otsuka
10 DokiDoki! PreCure 8th 2013–2014 49 Go Koga
11 Happiness Charge PreCure! 9th 2014–2015 49 Tatsuya Nagamine
12 Go! Princess PreCure 10th 2015–2016 50 Yuta Tanaka
13 Witchy PreCure! 11th 2016–2017 50 Masato Mitsuka
14 KiraKira PreCure a la Mode 12th 2017–2018 49 Kohei Kureta, Yukio Kaizawa
15 HUG! Pretty Cure 13th 2018–2019 49 Junichi Sato, Akifumi Zako
16 Star Twinkle PreCure 14th 2019–2020 49 Hiroaki Miyamoto
17 Healin' Good Pretty Cure 15th 2020–2021 45 Yoko Ikeda
18 Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure 16th 2021–2022 46 Yutaka Tsuchida
19 Delicious Party Pretty Cure 17th 2022–2023 45 Toshinori Fukasawa
20 Soaring Sky! PreCure 18th 2023–2024 50 Koji Ogawa
21 Wonderful Precure! 19th 2024–2025 50 Masanori Sato
22 You and Idol Precure 20th 2025–2026 49 Chiaki Kon
23 Star Detective Precure! 21st 2026–2027 51 Koji Kawasaki
Total 23 21 2004–present 1,067 21

Adaptations

Films

Starting in 2005, Beginning with Pretty Cure Max Heart, each television series has received a theatrical animated film based on the series, with Max Heart receiving two films.

Starting in 2009, crossover films featuring characters from multiple series have been released annually, with 14 crossover films released to date. The eleventh crossover film, Hug! Precure♡Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories, has been awarded the Guinness World Records title for "Most Magical Warriors in an Anime Film", with a total number of 55 Cures with speaking roles.

Extras

The Stage

Video games

Several video games have been produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Bandai) for video game systems and educational consoles, as well as Data Carddass arcade machines.

Console Video games
Arcade game
Educational titles

Live-action Drama

A live-action series, Koe Girl! (声ガール！, Koe Gāru!), aired in Japan between April and June 2018, celebrating the franchise's 15th anniversary. The series follows a group of aspiring voice actresses and stars Haruka Fukuhara, who voiced Himari Arisugawa/Cure Custard in KiraKira PreCure a la Mode.

Reception

The combination of transmedia text products, including anime series, films, live performances, theme stores, and toys, has been analyzed as a "system of consumption, knowledge and action [that] creates a lifestyle-text, a set of fictional media works that are synonymous with the lifestyle practices they promote."

The Pretty Cure films are the seventh highest-grossing anime film franchise. Bandai Namco's net income from Pretty Cure video game sales was ¥3.6 billion ($45.12 million) from April 2008 to March 2012, ¥1 billion ($13 million) from April 2012 to March 2013, ¥700 million ($7.17 million) from April 2013 to March 2014, and ¥800 million ($7.8 million) from April 2014 to December 2020, adding up to ¥6.1 billion ($73.1 million) net sales revenue for Bandai Namco.

Merchandise

Pretty Cure has had numerous licensed merchandise sold in Japan. By 2010, it became Japan's fifth highest-grossing franchise annually.

Pretty Cure licensed merchandise sales in Japan
Year Japan licensed merchandise sales Note Ref
2004 Unknown
2005 ¥56.7 billion
2006 ¥6 billion Bandai toys only
2007 ¥44.48 billion
2008 ¥49.92 billion
2009 ¥62.45 billion
2010 ¥76.65 billion
2011 ¥10.3 billion Bandai Namco toys only
2012 ¥63.51 billion
2013 ¥61.7 billion
2014 ¥45.46 billion
2015 ¥45.64 billion
2016 ¥49.76 billion
2017 ¥48.05 billion
2018 ¥50.59 billion
2019 ¥42.47 billion
2020 ¥6.9 billion Bandai Namco toys only
2005–2013 ¥431.86 billion+ ($5.271 billion+)
2014–2020 ¥288.87 billion+ ($2.802 billion+)
2005–2020 ¥720.73 billion+ ($8.074 billion+)

References

  1. ↑ @AnimetatezakiE (September 7, 2021). "I understand that you are watching the series very carefully. First of all, as you may know, for series sponsored by toy makers like Precure, the rough storyline is fairly pre-determined. That is because the toy sales strategy is prioritized" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "Saban Brands Gives Glitter Force Trademark to Toei Animation - The Tokusatsu Network". The Tokusatsu Network. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  3. ↑ "Glitter Force Brand's Rights Move to Hasbro". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  4. ↑ "Glitter Force". 2018-07-06. Archived from the original on 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  5. ↑ Hasbro. "Glitter Force – a legendary superhero squad". www.glitterforce.com. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  6. ↑ "Dokidoki! Precure Trademark Filed in Japan". Anime News Network. 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  7. ↑ "Dokidoki! Precure Revealed as New Precure With Logo - News". Anime News Network. 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  8. ↑ "'Go! Princess Precure' Trademark Filed". 30 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Next PreCure Series will be "Go! Princess PreCure"?". 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "'Mahō Tsukai Precure' Trademark Filed". AnimeNewsNetwork.com. 19 October 2015.
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  12. ↑ "'Kirakira PreCure a la Mode' Trademark Filed - News". Anime News Network. 2016-10-25.
  13. ↑ "'Hugtto! Precure' Trademark Filed". Anime News Network. 2017-10-16.
  14. ↑ "Toei Confirms Hugtto! Precure TV Anime for 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
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  16. ↑ @trademark_bot (22 October 2019). "東映アニメーション株式会社により「ヒーリングっど♡プリキュア」が商標登録出願されていることが、公開商標公報から明らかになりました。出願番号は2019-130108です。" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ↑ "Toei Animation Unveils Hirogaru Sky! Precure as Franchise's 20th Entry". Anime News Network. 2022-11-30.
  18. ↑ "Precure Franchise Announces Wonderful Precure! Anime". Anime News Network. 2023-11-30.
  19. ↑ "You and Idol Precure♪ Anime Reveals Story, Cast, Staff, February 2 Debut". Anime News Network. 2025-01-04.
  20. ↑ "55 anime characters unite in anniversary film to achieve unique record". Guinness World Records. 2018-11-22. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  21. ↑ "Precure Anime Inspires Live-Action Show About Aspiring Voice Actresses". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
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  33. ↑ CharaBiz DATA 2015⑭ (in Japanese). Character Databank, Ltd. 2015.
  34. ↑ CharaBiz DATA 2016⑮ (in Japanese). Character Databank, Ltd. 2016.
  35. ↑ CharaBiz DATA 2017(16) (in Japanese). Character Databank, Ltd. 2017.
  36. ↑ CharaBiz DATA 2018⑰ (in Japanese). Character Databank, Ltd. 2018.
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Further reading